Adjustable mounting systems for televisions

ABSTRACT

A mounting system capable of mounting objects to support structures. The mounting system includes a wall mount including a display bracket configured to hold the object, a fixed support bracket coupleable to a vertical support structure, and a linkage assembly. The linkage assembly has a low-profile stowed configuration in which the object is held in a raised position close to the support structure. Tilt adjustment mechanisms are used to adjust the tilt of the display bracket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/370,854, filed Mar. 29, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/489,596, filed Apr. 17, 2017 (now U.S. Pat. No.10,281,080), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/563,842, filed Dec. 8, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,625,091),which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/913,195, filed Dec. 6, 2013. U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/489,596 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/229,780, filed Mar. 28, 2014 (now U.S.Pat. No. 9,876,984), which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/118,297, filed May 27, 2011 9 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,724,037),which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/396,850, filed Jun. 4, 2010. All of theabove-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to mounting systems. Morespecifically, the present disclosure generally relates to adjustablemounting systems for mounting objects to structures.

BACKGROUND

Televisions are often mounted directly to walls using wall mounts.Tilting wall mounts and full motion wall mounts are two types of mountsthat allow movement of televisions. Tilting wall mounts often allowtilting only about a horizontal axis of rotation. Unfortunately, iftilting wall mounts are installed at relatively high locations, theremay be limited viewing because ideal viewing often requires that thecenter of the screen be generally level with a viewer's eyes. Fullmotion wall mounts often allow the television to be moved horizontallyaway from walls, swiveling of the television, and/or tilting of thetelevision. Because a viewer looks up at the television, it may resultin uncomfortable viewing. If either a tilting wall mount or a fullmotion wall mount is installed at a high location (e.g., above afireplace, a piano, furniture, etc.), the mounted television is oftenmuch higher than a sitting viewer's eyes and, thus, may not be suitablefor comfortable viewing.

SUMMARY

At least some embodiments are directed to mounting apparatuses capableof holding an object at a relatively high location to keep the objectout of the way when stowed. The object can be conveniently moved todifferent locations. In certain embodiments, a mounting apparatus canhold an electronic display in the form of a television and can includecomponents for adjusting the position of the television to providedesired viewing of the television. The mounting apparatus canautomatically move the television to a desired viewing position and caninclude, without limitation, one or more components for allowing a userto smoothly raise or lower the television. Such components can includeone or more springs, pistons (e.g., gas pistons), actuators, tiltadjustment mechanisms, or combinations thereof. Tilt adjustmentmechanisms can move the television to a desired angle of tilt for aparticular viewing height. As the television is raised and lowered, itcan be gradually tilted for optimal viewing.

The mounting apparatus can be installed above, for example, a fireplace,a piano, furniture, or at an aesthetically pleasing location. A user canmanually or automatically lower the television such that a viewer's eyesare at an appropriate position relative to the television. For example,the viewer's eyes can be generally level with the screen (e.g., levelwith the center of the screen). The television can be panned, tilted(e.g., rotated about a generally horizontal axis), and/or swiveled(e.g., rotated about a generally vertical axis) to accommodate differentviewing positions. Pivots, swivels (e.g., swivel brackets), joints, orthe like can be used to provide the desired motion. The television canrange in weight from about 20 pounds to about 110 pounds, for example.

A mounting system, in some embodiments, comprises a mounting apparatusincluding a bracket configured to hold an object, a fixed supportbracket coupleable to a vertical support structure, and a linkageassembly. The linkage assembly has a low-profile stowed configuration inwhich the object is held close to the support structure. The linkageassembly is movable to reposition the object at different heights. Oneor more tilt setting mechanisms can be used to change the orientation oflinks to adjust the tilt of the object. If the object is an electronicdisplay held at a relatively high position, tilt setting mechanisms canbe used to angle the electronic display downwardly. For example, theelectronic display can be angled such that a viewer's line of sight issubstantially perpendicular to a screen of the electronic display. Asthe electronic display is lowered, the screen can be gradually tilted tokeep the screen generally perpendicular to the viewer's line of sight.

A biasing mechanism can facilitate movement of the object and, in someembodiments, can provide a fixed or variable counterbalance force thatmay be different at the beginning, middle, and/or end of travel. In oneembodiment, the biasing mechanism can include one or more springs,counterbalance biasing mechanisms (e.g., a piston, a gas spring, etc.),and/or other force generating devices. The biasing mechanism can providean initial counterbalance force when compressed and anothercounterbalance force when it extends. For example, the biasing mechanismcan include a spring that can be compressed as the mounting apparatusinitially moves. As the spring is compressed, the counterbalance biasingmechanism can provide substantially no counterbalance force. Aftercompressing the spring, the counterbalance biasing mechanism can providea counterbalance force for a majority of the travel of the television.The counterbalance force provided by the counterbalance biasingmechanism can be greater than the force provided by the biasingmechanism due to compression of the spring. The television can be movedby applying a gradually increasing force for smooth movement.

In some embodiments, a mounting system includes a multi-bar linkageconfigured to store an object at a raised, low profile position close tothe wall (e.g., within 3 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches of the wall). Themounted object can be moved away from the raised, low profile positionalong a path (e.g., an arcuate path, a partially circular path, a curvedpath, a partially elliptical path, or the like). The multi-bar linkagecan include a main linkage that connects a support bracket to a displaybracket. The mounting system can include a tilt adjustment mechanismthat adjusts the position of at least one adjustable link relative to amain linkage and/or the support bracket to adjust the tilt of thedisplay bracket.

The mounting system can include a counterbalance assembly that can beadjusted to provide smooth controlled movement of the mounting system.The counterbalance assembly can include, without limitation, a forceadjustment mechanism operable to increase and decrease a counterbalanceforce. In one embodiment, the force adjustment mechanism can provide arelatively low counterbalance force to allow initial movement of thetelevision. The counterbalance force can be increased (e.g., graduallyincreased) as the television is further moved toward a desired position.In some embodiments, the counterbalance assembly can provide arelatively low counterbalance force to allow initial upward or downwardmovement of the television when the television is in the lowered orraised position, respectively.

In further embodiments, a television mounting apparatus has a raisedconfiguration and a lowered configuration and comprises a displaybracket, a fixed support bracket, and a linkage assembly. The fixedsupport bracket is configured to be coupled to a vertical supportstructure. The linkage assembly is rotatably coupled to the displaybracket and rotatably coupled to the fixed support bracket such that atelevision carried by the display bracket is movable from a raisedposition to a lowered position by moving the television mountingapparatus from the raised configuration to the lowered configuration. Atilt adjustment mechanism can be used to set the configuration of thetelevision mounting apparatus. The tilt adjustment mechanism, in someembodiments, can be used to increase or decrease tilt of one or morelinks of the linkage assembly relative to the fixed support bracket toadjust orientation (e.g., tilt) of the television.

In yet further embodiments, a television mounting apparatus for holdinga television includes a display bracket, a fixed support bracketconfigured to couple to a wall, and an assembly rotatably coupled to thefixed support bracket and carrying the display bracket. The assembly ismovable relative to the fixed support bracket to move the displaybracket between different positions (e.g., a raised position, anintermediate position, a lowered position, etc.).

Some embodiments are a television mounting apparatus that includes adisplay bracket, a fixed support bracket, and an assembly rotatablycoupled to the display bracket and movable relative to the fixed supportbracket to move (e.g., raise, lower, pan, etc.) the display bracket. Inone embodiment, the television mounting apparatus can include acounterbalance assembly with a counterbalance biasing mechanismconfigured to provide a biasing force and a force adjustment mechanismoperable to increase and decrease the biasing force provided by thecounterbalance biasing mechanism.

In some embodiments, a mounting apparatus includes a cam mechanism withdifferent states for controllably tilting a display bracket. Forexample, the cam mechanism can have a camming state for causing adisplay bracket to move (e.g., tilt rearward or forward) when themounting apparatus is reconfigured. In a non-camming or neutral state,the cam mechanism allows the mounting apparatus to move without changingthe orientation at the display bracket. This allows the display bracketto translate with either substantially no rotation or with controlledrotation. In the camming state, the cam mechanism can cause the displaybracket to rotate forward. Once the display bracket is at the desiredorientation, the display bracket can be further lowered while the cammechanism operates to keep the display bracket at a viewing orientation.This allows the display bracket to remain in substantially the samevertical orientation. When the mounting apparatus is raised back to theraised position, the passive cam mechanism can operate to allow thedisplay bracket to return to its stowed position. The configuration ofthe passive cam mechanism can be selected to provide the desired amountof tilting of the display bracket for a specific range of travel.

In yet further embodiments, a television mounting apparatus includes asupport bracket, a display bracket configured to hold a television, alinkage assembly extending between the support bracket and the displaybracket. The linkage assembly can include a link. The televisionmounting apparatus can further include a support pivot rotatablycoupling the linkage to the support bracket, a display pivot rotatablycoupling the linkage to display bracket, and a passive cam mechanism.The passive cam mechanism includes a cam and a cam follower that travelsalong the cam such that (1) the display bracket tilts forward as thelinkage assembly moves away from a raised position, (2) the displaybracket tilts rearwardly to a viewing orientation as the linkageassembly is lowered, and (3) the display bracket remains substantiallyat the viewing orientation as the linkage assembly is moved toward afully lowered position. In some installations, the display bracketremains at a vertical orientation (±5 degrees) as the linkage assemblyis moved toward a fully lowered position. In one embodiment, the camfollower can be a passive cam follower that travels along a firstsection of the cam as the display bracket tilts forward, a secondsection of the cam as the display bracket remains tilted forward, athird section of the cam as the bracket tilts rearwardly toward theviewing orientation, and a fourth section of the cam as the displaybracket remains substantially at the viewing orientation. Additionalsections of the cam can provide other motion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhausting embodiments are discussed with referenceto the following drawings. The same reference numerals refer to likeparts or acts throughout the various views, unless specified otherwise.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a television held by a mounting systemconnected to a wall.

FIG. 2 shows a television installed above a fireplace.

FIG. 3 shows the television in a lowered position in front of thefireplace.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a mounting system in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the mounting system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the mounting system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the mounting system with an upper armshown removed.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting system taken along aline 8-8 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the mounting system in a stowedconfiguration.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the mounting system in a deployedexpanded configuration.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a television in a loweredposition.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the stowed mounting system.

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the stowed mounting system of FIG.12 holding a television.

FIG. 14 is a back elevational view of the stowed mounting system of FIG.12.

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of the stowed mounting system ofFIG. 12.

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the stowed mounting system holdinga television generally parallel relative to a wall.

FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the stowed mounting system holdinga television tilted downwardly.

FIG. 18 is an isometric view of a mounting system, in accordance withanother embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of the mounting system of FIG. 18 ina stowed configuration.

FIG. 20 is a detailed view of a positioner of FIG. 19.

FIG. 20A is a detailed view of the positioner in an extendedconfiguration.

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of the mounting system of FIG. 18 ina deployed configuration.

FIG. 22 is a detailed view of the positioner of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a side elevational view of the mounting system of FIG. 18holding a television at a lowered position.

FIG. 24 is a detailed view of the positioner.

FIG. 25 is a top plan view of the mounting system of FIG. 18.

FIG. 26 is a rear, top, and left side isometric view of the mountingsystem of FIG. 18.

FIG. 27 is a top plan view of a mounting system in accordance withanother embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a side elevational view of a motorized mounting system inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 29 is an isometric view of a mounting system with a counterbalanceassembly and tilt adjustment mechanisms in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 30 is a front view of the mounting system of FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is a side view of the mounting system of FIG. 29.

FIG. 32 is a detailed view of a tilt adjustment mechanism of FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting system taken along aline 33-33 of FIG. 30.

FIG. 34 is a detailed view of the tilt adjustment mechanism of FIG. 33.

FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting system taken along aline 35-35 of FIG. 30. The mounting system is in a downward tiltposition.

FIG. 36 is a detailed view of the tilt adjustment mechanism of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a side elevational view of the mounting system in a partiallyraised configuration.

FIG. 38 is a detailed view of the tilt adjustment mechanism of FIG. 37.

FIG. 39 is a side view of the mounting system in a partially raisedconfiguration.

FIG. 40 is a side view of the mounting system in a partially loweredconfiguration.

FIG. 41 is a front, top isometric view of a mounting system mounted on awall in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 42 is a front, bottom isometric view of the mounting system of FIG.41 without display brackets.

FIGS. 43-48 illustrate a mounting system in various positions.

FIG. 49 is a front view of a mounting system in a raised configuration.

FIG. 50 is an isometric view of a mounting system in the raisedconfiguration.

FIG. 51 is a detailed view of a carriage assembly in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 52 is an isometric view of a carriage and a carriage positioner inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIGS. 53 and 54 show the carriage in different positions.

FIG. 55 is a side view of a mounting system at an intermediate positionin accordance with one embodiment.

FIGS. 56 and 57 are detailed views of a bottom tilt mechanism indifferent configurations in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 58 is an isometric view of the bottom tilt mechanism in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 59 is a front view of the bottom tilt mechanism of FIG. 58.

FIGS. 60 to 62A illustrate a mounting system in different configurationsin accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 63 is an isometric view of a display bracket in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 64 is a side view of a mounting system moved from a stowedconfiguration, and FIG. 64A is a detailed view of a cam mechanism inaccordance with one embodiment of the technology.

FIG. 65 is a side view of a mounting system being lowered, and FIG. 65Ais a detailed view the cam mechanism in accordance with an embodiment ofthe technology.

FIG. 66 is a side view of the mounting system at a horizontalconfiguration, and FIG. 66A is a detailed view of the cam mechanism inaccordance with one embodiment of the technology.

FIG. 67 is a side view of the mounting system at a loweredconfiguration, and FIG. 67A is a detailed view of the cam mechanism inaccordance with one embodiment of the technology.

FIG. 68 is a side view of a mounting system in a raised position in anaccordance with one embodiment.

FIGS. 68A and 68B are detailed views of a top or stowed tilt mechanismin different configurations.

FIGS. 69 and 70 are top views of mounting systems with swivelabledisplay brackets.

FIG. 71 is a side view of a mounting system in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 72 is a side view of a mounting system in accordance with anotherembodiment.

FIG. 72A is a detailed view of the mounting system of FIG. 72.

FIG. 73 is a side view of a mounting system in a fully raisedconfiguration.

FIG. 73A is a detailed view of the mounting system of FIG. 72.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a mounting system in the form of a television mountingapparatus or wall mount 100 (“wall mount 100”) carrying an electronicdisplay in the form of a flat screen television 110. A collapsiblelinkage assembly 130 is connected to a support mount or bracket 140 thatis mounted to a support structure in the form of a wall 120. The linkageassembly 130 can swing upwardly (indicated by arrow 150) or downwardly(indicated by arrow 152). An adjustment mechanism 146 is operable toadjust a biasing force provided by a biasing mechanism to allow forcontrolled movement of the television 110. Once the television 110 is ata desired position, the biasing mechanism keeps the television 110stationary.

FIG. 2 shows the television 110 in a raised, stowed position and veryclose to the wall 120. The wall mount 100 is hidden from view of someonein front of the television 110 for an aesthetically pleasing appearance.Advantageously, it may be difficult for small children to reach up andpull down on the television 110. The illustrated stowed television 110is positioned above a fireplace to avoid occupying usable space and toreduce the likelihood of unwanted inadvertent contact by people movingabout the room. If the fireplace includes a hearth, it may be difficultfor small children, or other individuals, to inadvertently contact thetelevision 110.

The television 110 can swing downwardly and, if desired, can bepositioned in front of the fireplace, as shown in FIG. 3. The loweredtelevision 110 can be positioned very close to the front of thefireplace. A viewer's eyes can be generally level with the center of thescreen 160. The lowered television 110 is especially well suited forviewing when someone is positioned near the television 110, for example,to play a game system (e.g., Xbox 360, PlayStation®, PlayStation®2,PlayStation®3, Nintendo game system, or the like) or to provideconvenient viewing while sitting, for example, on furniture or on thefloor. After viewing, the television 110 can be returned to the stowedposition.

Referring again to FIG. 2, a top 132 of the stowed television 110 can beangled forwardly such that the screen 160 is substantially perpendicularto a sitting viewer's line of sight. Alternatively, the television 110can be flat against the wall 120 (e.g., parallel to the wall 120) tominimize or limit unwanted reflections from the screen 160 that may bedirected to someone sitting on furniture in front of the television 110,especially when the television 110 is turned OFF. The wall mount 100 canautomatically tilt the television 110 as the television 110 movesvertically. As the television 110 is lowered, it can gradually tilt tokeep the screen 160 substantially perpendicular relative to the viewer'sline of sight. Once the television 110 is at a desired position, thetelevision 110 can be further tilted using an automatic or manual tiltmechanism, if needed or desired.

In some manually deployable embodiments, a user can conveniently graspand pull the television 110 away from the wall 120. The television 110will move forward a significant distance before it starts to move downsuch that the television 110 can be brought down and in front of aprotruding object below the support bracket 140, illustrated in FIGS. 2and 3 as a fireplace mantel or shelf 124. The top 132 of the television110 can be lower than a top 141 of the support bracket 140 and, in someembodiments, is positioned lower than a bottom 143 of the supportbracket 140. One or more adjustable fixed stops can be used to preventcontact with the mantelshelf 124 or to achieve repeatable positioning,or both.

The wall mount 100 can be coupled to a wide range of different types ofsupport structures, such as vertical support structures in the form ofwalls of a dwelling (e.g., a house, an apartment, etc.), an office, alobby, a bar (e.g., a sports bar), or the like and can be mounted tovertical walls or non-vertical walls, including, without limitation,angled walls, non-planar walls, or other structures sturdy enough tohandle the load of the wall mount 100 and any attached object(s).

The television 110 can be, without limitation, a liquid crystal display(LCD) television, a plasma television, a light emitting diode (LED)television, or other type of flat screen television, as well as othertypes of wall mountable televisions. The weights of such televisions areoften in a range of about 20 lbs to about 110 lbs and often have amaximum thickness less than about 5 inches. Advantageously, large screentelevisions have a screen with a length (measured diagonally) equal toor greater than about 30 inches and can hide the entire wall mount 100,as shown in FIG. 2. The wall mount 100 can also hold small or mediumscreen televisions. Other types of electronic displays (e.g., monitors)or objects can be carried by the wall mount 100. Exemplary mountableobjects include, but are not limited to, screens suitable for use withfront projectors, boards (e.g., a chalk board, a dry erase board, etc.),containers (e.g., a basket or a bin), or the like.

FIGS. 4-6 show the support bracket 140, a display bracket 210, and thelinkage assembly 130 that cooperate to define a four bar linkage. Thesupport bracket 140 can include a pair of spaced apart elongate members170, 172, each including a plurality of apertures for receivingfasteners, such as fasteners 174 in FIG. 1. As used herein, “bracket” isa broad term that includes one-piece or multi-piece structural supportsconfigured to be coupled (e.g., fixedly coupled) to a support surface orstructure. Brackets can be made, in whole or in part, of metal (e.g.,steel, aluminum, etc.), composites, plastic, polymers, combinationsthereof, or the like. In one-piece embodiments, a bracket can be formedusing a stamping process, a machining process, or the like. Inmulti-piece embodiments, separate pieces can facilitate packaging forshipping. The pieces can be assembled after unpacking. Other types ofone-piece or multi-piece brackets can be used, if needed or desired.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, wall mount 100 is symmetrical with respectto a center plane 173 and, thus, may be described with reference to oneside. A main bearing member in the form of an upper link 176 isrotatable about an upper axis of rotation 180 defined by support pivots190. A pair of lower links 178 a, 178 b (collectively “178”) arerotatable about a lower axis of rotation 182 defined by support pivots192. The axes of rotation 180, 182 can lie in an imaginary plane whichis substantially parallel to the wall 120.

The upper link 176 can include a support end 200 and an opposing bracketend 204. Pivots 190 couple the support end 200 to the bracket 140.Pivots 211 couple the bracket end 204 to the display bracket 210 and canserve as display pivots. The upper link 176 has a fixed length and agenerally U-shaped transverse cross-section taken generallyperpendicular to its longitudinal axis 177. Sidewalls 216, 217 areconnected to an upper plate 218.

The lower links 178 are generally similar to one another and,accordingly, the description of one lower link applies equally to theother, unless indicated otherwise. The lower link 178 a includes asupport bracket end 222 rotatably coupled to the support bracket 140 bythe pivot 192. FIG. 6 shows a pivot 230 coupling the display bracket end224 to the display bracket 210 and defining an axis of rotation 183.

With reference to FIG. 6, the link 178 a includes rigid slotted members232, 234 and pins extending through the members 232, 234. The slottedmembers 232, 234 are slidable relative to one another. An adjustmentmechanism in the form of a tilt adjustment mechanism 240 is slidablyretained in a slot of the member 232 and a hole in the member 234. Ahandle 242 can be rotated to lock and unlock the link 178 a. To lengthenthe link 178 a, the handle 242 is rotated counter-clockwise and themember 232 is slid away from the support bracket 140, as indicated by anarrow 246. The length of the link 178 a can be increased to rotate thedisplay bracket 210 clockwise (indicated by an arrow 254) about a tiltaxis of rotation 250 (FIG. 5) defined by the pivots 211. The displaybracket 210 can be rotated counter-clockwise about the tilt axis ofrotation 250 (indicated by an arrow 256) by sliding the member 232 inthe opposite direction. After the television 110 is in the desiredorientation, the handle 242 is rotated clockwise to securely hold themember 232 between the member 234 and the handle 242. The dimensions(e.g., the longitudinal lengths) of the slots can be increased ordecreased to increase or decrease the amount of tilt. Other lockingmechanisms can include, without limitation, one or more rollers, slides(e.g., linear slides), locks, clamps, pins, ratchet mechanisms, orcombinations thereof that cooperate to prevent, limit, or inhibitrelative movement between components.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, display bracket 210 includes a rail 270 andelongate arms 272, 274 hanging on the rail 270. The arms 272, 274 can beslid along the rail 270, as indicated by arrows 276, 277, 278, 279, toaccommodate different sized objects. Fasteners 275, 276 fixedly couplethe elongate arms 272, 274 to the rail 270. Fasteners can pass throughapertures in the elongate arms 272, 274 to hold the television 110.Other types of display brackets can also be used. The configuration,size, and design of the display bracket can be selected based on theconfiguration, size, and design of the television or other object to bemounted.

FIG. 7 shows the wall mount 100 with the upper link removed. A biasingmechanism in the form of a counterbalance mechanism 300 cooperates withthe linkage assembly 130 to allow a user to effortlessly move thetelevision to different positions but prevents or inhibits movement ofthe television when the user does not apply a force. The television canbe moved using a force that is less than a threshold force. Thethreshold force can be about 2 lbf., 3 lbf., 5 lbf., 10 lbf., or 20lbf., as well as any other suitable threshold force. In someembodiments, counterbalance mechanism 300 counterbalances the weight ofthe television and the weight of the suspended components in order toallow movement with a desired amount of resistance (e.g., a minimalamount of resistance, a threshold amount of resistance, etc.). Thecounterbalance mechanism 300 can include force balancing devices,illustrated as pistons 310, 320 rotatably coupled to the display bracket210 and support bracket 140. The pistons 310, 320 can be gas pistons,pneumatic pistons, or other type of biasing devices capable of providinga desired force, including, without limitation, a substantially constantforce, variable force, or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, force adjustment mechanism 146 includes athreaded rod 330 held by holders 338, 340 of the support bracket 140.The rod 330 can be rotated to move a carriage or block 332 upwardly ordownwardly. The carriage 332 is rotatably coupled to the counterbalancemechanism 300 and can be in a first position such that thecounterbalance mechanism 300 is in a first setting or configuration toprovide a first balancing force. The carriage 332 can be moved to asecond position such that the counterbalance mechanism 300 is in asecond setting or configuration to provide a second balancing force thatis substantially different from the first balancing force. For example,the first balancing force can counterbalance a television that weighsabout 100 pounds wherein the second balance force can counterbalance atelevision that weighs about 40 pounds. Other types of force adjustmentmechanisms can include, without limitation, one or more motors (e.g.,stepper motors), linear slides, threaded rods, pulleys, combinationsthereof, or the like.

FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 show the television 110 in a stowed position, anintermediate position, and a lowered position, respectively. The linkageassembly 130 of FIG. 9 is in a substantially upright position. The lowerlinks 178 move away from and remain substantially parallel to the upperlink 176 as the television 110 moves away from the wall 120. FIG. 10shows the linkage assembly 130 in an expanded configuration andextending substantially horizontally away from the support bracket 140.FIG. 11 shows the linkage assembly 130 in a lowered configuration andextending downwardly away from the support bracket 140. Details of theillustrated positions are discussed below.

Referring to FIG. 9, wall mount 100 has a relatively low-profileconfiguration to minimize a distance D between the television 110 andthe support surface 120. In some embodiments, distance D is less thanabout 8 inches, 6 inches, 5 inches, 4 inches, or 2 inches. Otherdistances D are also possible. The upper link 176 and lower links 178nest together to provide a space saving and aesthetically pleasing lowprofile configuration.

As the television 110 is moved downwardly along a predetermined path331, it can tilt backwardly (e.g., rotate clockwise as viewed from theside) such that the screen is angled upwardly, as illustrated in FIGS.10 and 11. The wall mount 100 can also be modified to be a five barlinkage to provide such motion. The television 110 of FIG. 11 isespecially well positioned for viewers with their heads positionedslightly above the center of the screen. Alternatively, television 110can be moved along the path 331 without appreciably changing the tiltsetting. For example, the center gravity (CG) of the television 110 cantravel along the generally arcuate path 331 without appreciable rotationor angular displacement of the television 110. Thus, television 110 canbe translated or rotated, or both.

The upper link 176 and lower links 178 can rotate about respective axesof rotation 182, 180 from about 130 degrees to about 180 degrees. Insome embodiments, the upper link 176 and lower links 178 rotate aboutthe respective axes of rotation 182, 180 about 160 degrees. If thetelevision 110 is mounted above a fireplace, upper link 176 and lowerlinks 178 can rotate about respective axes of rotation 182, 180 an anglein a range of about 90 degrees to about 160 degrees. Other angles arealso possible, if needed or desired.

FIGS. 12-15 show the linkage assembly 130 in a substantially uprightposition. The lower links 178 are alongside and laterally adjacent tothe upper linkage 176. FIG. 13 shows at least a portion of the lowerlink 178 a positioned in front of the upper link 176 as viewed along thelower axis of rotation 182. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, upper link 176is positioned between the lower links 178 a, 178 b. Such a nestedarrangement provides a relatively low profile to position the mountedobject very close to a wall.

FIGS. 13, 16, and 17 show the linkage assembly 130 in an over-centerconfiguration. The CG of the television 110 and the axis of rotation 183are on opposite sides of an imaginary plane 340. The lower inner axis ofrotation 182 and tilt axis of rotation 250 lie in the imaginary plane340. Gravitational force acting on the television 110 causes the pivots230 to be pushed towards the wall 120 to keep the linkage assembly 130in the stowed configuration. A locking mechanism 245, illustrated as alocking knob mechanism, can be tightened to ensure that the linkageassembly 130 remains locked. The locking mechanism 245 can comprise ahandle with a threaded member. The handle can be rotated to press thelink 178 against a portion of the bracket 210 to prevent or inhibitrelative movement between the link 178 and the bracket 210. In otherembodiments, the locking mechanism 245 can be in the form of a fine tunetilt adjustment mechanism and can include one or more gears, ratchetmechanisms, or other features that allow controlled tilting.

When the linkage assembly 130 is in an unlocked state, the bottom of thetelevision 110 can be pulled away from the support bracket 140 to movethe pivots 230 away from the wall 120 and across the imaginary plane340. Once the pivots 230 move across the imaginary plane 340, thelinkage assembly 130 is released, thus allowing lowering of thetelevision 110.

The lengths of the links 178 of FIG. 16 may be decreased to rotate thetelevision 110 counterclockwise about the axis of rotation 250 so as tomove the bottom of the television 110 rearwardly. The links 178 of FIG.17 can be lengthened to tilt the top of the television 110 rearwardly.In various embodiments, television 110 can be tilted an angle α (FIG.17) of about ±5 degrees to about ±55 degrees. In certain embodiments, atilt angle α of about 15 degrees can be achieved.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show a mounting system 400 that is generally similar tothe mounting system 100 discussed in connection with FIGS. 1-17, exceptas detailed below. A positioner 410 includes a base 416 and a movablemember in the form of an adjustment screw 418. The adjustment screw 418has external threads that engage internal threads along a passageway inthe base 416. A head 421 can limit travel of a pivot 412 along a slot430, illustrated in phantom line in FIGS. 20 and 20A.

Referring again to FIG. 19, linkage assembly 420 is in a stowedconfiguration. Pivot 412 is forced towards a forward lower end 432 ofthe slot 430. As a display bracket 440 is moved downwardly, pivot 412can slide rearwardly and upwardly along the slot 430. FIGS. 21 and 22show the pivot 412 positioned at a rearward upper end 434 of the slot430. Referring to FIGS. 23 and 24, pivot 412 is at the rearward upperend 434 of the slot 430. The load applied by a mounted object pushes thepivot 412 towards the rearward upper end 434.

The illustrated head 421 can be moved by rotating the adjustment screw418. By moving the adjustment screw 418 into and out of the base 416,tilt of the mounted object can be adjusted. For example, adjustmentscrew 418 can be moved outwardly away from the wall to tilt the displaybracket 440 rearwardly. The link 438 has elongate members 441, 443 thatcan be moved relative to one another to provide large amounts ofadjustment. A locking mechanism 443 can be tightened using a wrench orother tool to lock the linkage 438. In the illustrated embodiment, a pin445 extends through a slot in the elongate member 443 and a hole in theelongate member 441.

The positioner 410 can function as a mode of operation selector toalternate the mounting system 400 between a four bar linkage system anda five bar linkage system. As shown in FIG. 20A, when the adjustmentscrew 418 is in an extended position, pivot 412 is translationallyfixed. The mounting system 400 thus functions as four bar linkagesystem. When the adjustment screw 418 is moved into the base 416 toallow translation of the pivot 412 along the slot 430, the mountingsystem 400 functions as a five bar linkage system.

FIGS. 25 and 26 show a display bracket 480 rotatable about an axis ofrotation 482, illustrated as a vertical axis of rotation, defined by aswivel mechanism 483. The swivel mechanism 483 includes a pin 484 heldby a retainer 486 and mounts 490, 492. The mounts 490, 492 and/orretainer 486 can have slots, holes, or other types of features to allowdifferent types of pivoting or swivel action. The display bracket 480can be rotated to the left and right an angle ß of about ±5 degrees toabout ±55 degrees.

Mounting systems can include any number of swivel mechanisms. Forexample, swivel mechanisms can couple links to the support bracket andcan couple the links to the display bracket. The number, positions, andorientations of the swivel mechanisms can be selected to achieve thedesired functionality. FIG. 27 shows a wall mount 600 that includes aswivel mechanism 624 that connects a linkage assembly 628 to a supportbracket 632. The swivel mechanism 624 includes a pin 638 held by a mount620. A retainer 630 pivots with respect to the pin 638 to rotate aboutan axis of rotation 610. The linkage assembly 628 can be rotated to theleft and to the right an angle θ of about ±5 degrees to about ±30degrees. Other angles are also possible, if needed or desired. Relevantdescription of the wall mount 600 applies equally to swiveling mountingsystems discussed in connection FIGS. 69 and 70.

FIG. 28 shows an automated mounting system 700 that can be moved using acontroller 510 that communicates with a control device 720. A motorizedactuator 730 raises and lowers the television. The control device 720can include a receiver that is communicatively coupled (e.g., wirelesslycoupled, capacitively coupled, inductively coupled, or the like) to atransmitter of the controller 710. The control device 720 can storeinformation in memory 721 and can include one or more computing devicesor processors. Memory can include, without limitation, volatile memory,non-volatile memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM),and the like. Stored information can include, but is not limited to,settings, weight of mounted object, or the like. Settings can include,but are not limited to, position settings (e.g., stowed positions,lowered positions, intermediate positions, or the like), times (e.g.,times to automatically move the object), or the like.

The controller 710 can be a wireless controller with artificialintelligence functionality or other suitable functionality. For example,the controller 710 can include or be compatible with hubs or automationdevices (e.g., Google Home, Amazon's Alexa, etc.), or suitable devicefor receiving input from users. Voice commands can be used to raise andlower the mounting system, set mounting system positions, programmounting systems, or the like. In some embodiments, the controller 710can communicate wirelessly or via a wired connection with anotherdevice, such as an IoT hub or digital assistant (e.g., Google Home,Microsoft Cortana, Amazon Alexa, etc.). Wireless communication can bevia a local network (e.g., WiFi network) or other suitable network.Additionally or alternatively, the control device 720 can communicatewith a hub, router, or electronic controller, such as Google Home,Amazon Echo, or the like. In some embodiments, the mounting system 700can be controlled with one or more voice commands, such as “Siri”(Apple), “Alexa” (Amazon), “Cortana” (Microsoft), Xbox, “OK Google”Google, and so forth. A button on the controller 710 can be used toinput voice commands. The control device 720 can have one or more voicedetectors (e.g., microphones) that operates to receive voice commands.

The control device 720 can communicate directly with any number ofcommunication devices and may include one or more sensors for detectingmovement, position, temperatures, combinations thereof, or the like. Byway of example, the control device 720 can include motion sensorsconfigured to detect motion, such as gestures. Position sensors can beused to detect the position of obstacles. The control device 720 canhave proximity sensors for detecting the position of viewers, motion, orthe like. Viewer motion and position can be tracked to identify commandgestures, positional information (e.g., optimum viewing positions), andso forth. In one embodiment, the control device 720 includes one or morecameras for determining the position of viewers, identifying objects,etc., and the control device 720 can determine the optimal displaylocation using viewing algorithms. Identification software (e.g., facialrecognition software) can be used to identify different people and toretrieve appropriate positions. Viewers can have different preferredpositions stored in memory 721.

Microphones can receive audible information. The control device 720 canbe programmed to operate in response to the audible input (e.g., voicecommands), determine the location of obstacles, and/or avoid strikingobstacles (e.g., shelves, pianos, furniture, or other obstacles).Additionally or alternatively, one or more safety sensors can beutilized and can be incorporated into components of the wall mountsystem. Additionally or alternatively, the control device 720 can beprogrammed to move the display to various locations based upon, forexample, the location of viewers, time settings, schedules, or voicecommands. A timer can be used to determine when to automatically raiseor lower the display. In some embodiments, authentication can berequired to move the display. For example, the mounting system 700 canbe actuated only when an authorization password or other identifier isprovided. This way children or other individuals cannot move thedisplay.

Operation of the mounting system 700 can be coordinated with mediacontent, including music, television show, movie, video game, or othersuitable media. In one mode of operation, the mounting system 700 canidentify the start of the media (e.g., a movie, sports game, etc.) andcan automatically position the display at a suitable viewing position.At the end of the content (e.g., completion of the movie, game, etc.),the wall mount 700 can automatically be raised to the stowed position.When one mounting system 700 is moved, it can send data to one or moreother mounting systems. The data can include setting information,instructions, commands, or the like.

Mounting systems can be programmed to have coordinated operation. Eachcontrol device can have stored instructions and can communicate witheach other via wired or wireless connections. In some embodiments, themounting systems communicate with each other via a local network.Control devices can be programmed to move mounting systems according toone or more cycles or events. In commercial settings, mounting systemscan periodically move to attract attention at, for example, arestaurant, a sports bar, or the like.

If the mounting system 700 is mounted above a mantelshelf, the controldevice 720 can be programmed to ensure that the mounting system does notstrike the mantel (e.g., an upper surface of the mantelshelf) as atelevision is lowered downwardly past the mantelshelf. At apredetermined time (e.g., after a selected bed time), the mountingsystem 700 can be automatically moved to the stowed configuration suchthat children cannot easily reach and pull on the television the nextmorning. In some embodiments, the mounting system 700 can beautomatically returned to the stowed configuration after the televisionhas been turned OFF for a certain period of time.

The control device 720 can be programmed to move the television todifferent positions, each having a different indicator (e.g., number,code, etc.). The indicator can be entered using the controller 710.Additionally or alternatively, control device 720 can include inputdevices, such as a touch pad, a touch screen, a keyboard, or the like. Auser can use the input device to move the mounting system 700 intodifferent positions without utilizing any remote. If the control device720 is hidden behind a television, the user can reach behind thetelevision to access the control device 720 and position the televisionas desired. The controller 710 can be a phone (e.g., Smartphone),tablet, computer, or other suitable electronic device for controllingmotorized tilt mechanisms, motorized swivels, or other components.

FIGS. 29 and 30 are isometric and side views, respectively, of amounting system 750 in accordance with another embodiment. The mountingsystem 750 is generally similar to the mounting systems discussed inconnection with FIGS. 1-28. The mounting system 750 can be a televisionmounting apparatus that includes a display bracket 760, a fixed supportbracket 762, and a collapsible linkage assembly 764. The display bracket760 can be configured to hold an electronic display, and the fixedsupport bracket 762 can be coupled to a mounting structure, such as avertical wall. The linkage assembly 764 is coupled to the displaybracket 760 and the fixed support bracket 762 and can include links thatprovide, for example, four-bar linkage action, five-bar linkage action,or other types of action. In some embodiments, the linkage assembly 764includes a main upper link 768 (“upper link 768”) and links 769 a, 769 b(collectively “links 769”). The upper link 768 is rotatable relative tothe display bracket 760 about an upper axis of rotation 791 defined byupper pivots 793 and is rotatable about a lower axis of rotation 795(FIG. 30) defined by lower pivots 797. The links 769 are rotatablerelative to the display bracket 760 about an upper axis of rotation 808(FIG. 31) defined by upper pivots 809 (FIG. 31) and are rotatable abouta lower axis of rotation 802 (FIG. 30) defined by lower pivots 803.

FIGS. 29 and 30 show the mounting system 750 including tilt adjustmentmechanisms 770, 772 and a biasing mechanism in the form of acounterbalance mechanism 780. The tilt adjustment mechanisms 770, 772can be used to adjust the positions of the pivots 793, 797, 803 (FIG.30) and/or 809 (FIG. 31) to position the display bracket 760. The tiltadjustment mechanisms 770, 772 can be operated independently of oneanother to independently set the tilt of the television at the raisedand lowered positions.

The two tilt adjustment mechanisms 770 are operable to set the tilt ofthe television in the raised position, and the two tilt adjustmentmechanisms 772 are operable to set the tilt of the television in thelowered position. For example, a viewer's eyes may be positioned muchlower than the television when the mounting system 750 is in a raised orstowed configuration. The tilt adjustment mechanisms 770 can be used tomove the pivots 803 to tilt the television downwardly to provide adesired or convenient viewing angle. FIGS. 31-34 show the tiltadjustment mechanism 770 at a minimum top tilt setting to provide aminimum tilt angle of a television 890 (FIGS. 31 and 33). FIGS. 35 and36 show the tilt adjustment mechanism 770 at a maximum top tilt settingto provide a maximum tilt angle of the television 890. As the television890 is lowered, it can gradually tilt to ensure that its screen remainsat a desired orientation relative to viewer(s) (e.g., generallyperpendicular to a viewer's line of sight).

FIGS. 29 and 30 show the counterbalance mechanism 780 configured toprovide a counterbalance force that allows a user to conveniently raiseand lower the television but prevents or inhibits movement of thetelevision when the user does not apply a force. The counterbalancemechanism 780, in some embodiments, provides variable resistance toallow a user to smoothly move the television. For example, thecounterbalance mechanism 780 can provide a relatively low counterbalanceforce to allow initial upward or downward movement of the television.Referring to FIG. 30, the counterbalance mechanism 780 can includesprings 810, 812 (FIG. 30) that are compressed in response to initialmovement of the television. After compressing one of the springs 810,812, one or more gas spring 813 of the counterbalance mechanism 780 canoperate to allow further movement of the television.

FIG. 31 is a side view of the mounting system 750. FIG. 32 is a detailedside view of the tilt adjustment mechanism 770. Referring to FIGS. 31and 32 together, the tilt adjustment mechanism 770 can include a cam 820and a tilt adjustment element in the form of a bolt 862 (“tiltadjustment bolt 862”) for locking the cam 820. The cam 820 is positionedbetween a bracket 830 of the fixed support bracket 762 and the link 769b and can contact a back plate 822 of the support bracket 762. Referringnow to FIG. 32, the cam 820 can rotate about a pin 860. By way ofexample, the tilt adjustment bolt 862 can be rotated clockwise such thata bolt head 901 securely holds the cam 820 against the link 769 b. Thebolt 862 can be rotated counterclockwise (indicated by arrow 903) torelease the cam 820. The cam 820 can then be rotated about the pin 860,and once the cam 820 is at the desired position, the bolt 862 can berotated clockwise to lock the cam 820. Other types of components andmechanisms can be used to lock and unlock the cam 820.

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting system 750 taken alonga line 33-33 of FIG. 30. FIG. 34 is a detailed side view of the tiltadjustment mechanism 770 at the minimum top tilt setting. Referring toFIGS. 33 and 34, the cam 820 can include alignment features 872, anarcuate cam slot 880, and a main body 882. The alignment features 872can be recesses, notches, indicia (e.g., printed marks), or otherfeatures alignable with an alignment feature 889 of the link 769 b. Themain body 882 can have an opening 892 through which the pin 860 extendsto define the axis of rotation 894 (see FIG. 30).

As shown in FIG. 34, the main body 882 can include a contact surface900. As the television moves upwardly, the contact surface 900 can bebrought into contact with a surface 902 of the plate 822 to push a lowerend 930 of the link 769 b away from the surface 902. The pivot 803 canslide along a curved or V-shaped slot 922 of the bracket 830 to changethe orientation (e.g., tilt) of the link 769 b. FIG. 34 shows the bolt862 at an end 930 of the cam slot 880 while the pivot 803 is at an end932 of the slot 922. The cam 820 can be rotated (indicated by arrow 934)about the pin 860 to allow the pivot 803 to translate (indicated byarrow 935) along the slot 922 and thereby reduce a distance D1 betweenthe pivot 803 and the surface 902.

FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting system 750 taken alonga line 35-35 of FIG. 30 after the cam 820 has been moved to a maximumtop tilt setting by rotating the cam 820 until the bolt 862 (FIG. 36) islocated at an end 940 of the cam slot 880. FIG. 36 is a detailed sideview of the tilt adjustment mechanism 770 in the maximum top tiltsetting. Referring to FIG. 36, the pivot 803 can be positioned at alower angled section 950 of the slot 922. The distance D2 can besignificantly less than the distance D1 of FIG. 34. For example,distance D2 of FIG. 36 can be equal to or less than 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%,or 95% of the distance D1 of FIG. 34.

FIG. 37 is a side elevational view of the mounting system 750 after ithas been lowered (e.g., about seven inches) from its fully raisedposition. The cam 820 is configured and dimensioned to allow themounting system 750 to be lowered while the surface 900 of the cam 820is spaced apart from or engages (e.g., rolls, slides, etc.) along theback plate surface 902.

Referring again to FIGS. 31 and 32, the bottom tilt adjustment mechanism772 is movable between tilt bottom settings. The tilt adjustmentmechanism 772 in the maximum tilt bottom setting can cause the lowereddisplay bracket 760 to be at maximum tilt bottom orientation, and thebottom tilt adjustment mechanism 772 in the minimum tilt bottom settingcan cause the lowered display bracket 760 to be at a minimum tilt bottomorientation.

FIGS. 39 and 40 show an embodiment of the counterbalance mechanism 780that can include a counterbalance biasing mechanism 970 and a forceadjustment mechanism 972. The counterbalance biasing mechanism 970 canbe configured to counterbalance the weight of the television and, insome embodiments, can include a pair of gas springs. Othercounterbalance biasing mechanisms can also be used.

The force adjustment mechanism 972 is operable to increase and decreaseresistance provided by the counterbalance mechanism 780 and, in someembodiments, also allows movement of the television beforeextending/contracting the counterbalance mechanism 780. The forceadjustment mechanism 972 can include a bolt assembly 980, a carriage orslider element 982 (“carriage 982”) coupled to the bolt assembly 980,and springs 810, 812. The bolt assembly 980 can include an externallythreaded bolt 998 (external threads are not illustrated) that can berotated to move the carriage 982 upwardly or downwardly. When thecarriage 982 is at a lowered position (e.g., adjacent to or against alower stop 1000), the counterbalance mechanism 780 can provide a maximumcounterbalance force. When the carriage 982 is at a raised position(e.g., adjacent to or against an upper stop 1002), the counterbalancemechanism 780 can provide a minimum counterbalance force. The carriage982 can be moved to different positions between the stops 1000, 1002 toorient the counterbalance biasing mechanism 780.

The bolt assembly 980 can be moved vertically relative to the lower andupper stops 1000, 1002 to alternatingly compress the springs 810, 812.When the bolt assembly 980 moves downwardly, the upper spring 810 can becompressed between a bolt head 1010 and the upper stop 1002. FIG. 39shows the spring 810 compressed and the spring 812 uncompressed. Whenthe bolt assembly 980 moves upwardly, the spring 812 can be compressedbetween a bolt head 1012 and the lower stop 1000. FIG. 40 shows thespring 812 compressed and the spring 810 uncompressed.

Referring to FIG. 39, the upper spring 810 can be in a compressed stateand the lower spring 812 can be in an uncompressed state when thelinkage assembly 764 extends upwardly. The spring 810 can be furthercompressed when the mounting system 750 initially moves downward. Duringthis initial movement, the biasing mechanism 970 can remain fixed (i.e.,it does not extend/contract a significant amount). As such, thetelevision can be moved due to compression of the spring 810. Afterfully compressing the spring 810, the biasing mechanism 970 canextend/contract to provide a counterbalance force for most of the travelof the television.

As shown in FIG. 40, when the linkage assembly 764 extends downwardly,the upper spring 810 can be uncompressed and the lower spring 812 iscompressed. The carriage 982 can move upwardly to further compress thelower spring 812. The spring 812 can be further compressed when themounting system 750 initially moves upward. The television can beinitially moved due to compression of the spring 812. After fullycompressing the spring 812, the biasing mechanism 970 canextend/contract to provide a counterbalance force for most of the travelof the television.

The counterbalance mechanism and any of its components of FIGS. 39 and40 can be incorporated into any of the mount systems disclosed herein.Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employconcepts of the various patents, applications and publications toprovide yet further embodiments. For example, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/913,195 filed Dec. 6, 2014, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/396,850 filed Jun. 4, 2010, U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/118,297 filed May 27, 2011, U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/562,842, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/229,780, and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/118,297 are all incorporated herein by referencein their entireties and can be combined with embodiments disclosedherein. Additionally, the description of the mounting systems 100, 400,700, 750 applies equally to the mounting systems discussed in connectionwith FIGS. 41-71 unless indicated otherwise. Aspects of the mountingsystems 1100 and 2000 can be modified to include components or employconcepts of the mounting systems 100, 400, 700, or 750. Additionally,aspects of the mounting systems 100, 400, 700, or 750 can be modified toinclude components or employ concepts of the mounting systems 1100 and2000. Accordingly, various features of the mounting systems can be mixedand matched to achieve as desired.

FIGS. 41 and 42 show a mounting system in the form of a wall mount 1100(“wall mount 1100”) that includes a linkage assembly 1130, a supportbracket 1140, and a display bracket 1142 with electronic display holdersor brackets 1145, 1147 (shown removed in FIG. 42). The linkage assembly1130 is rotatably coupled to the support and display brackets 1140, 1142and can swing upwardly (indicated by arrow 1150 of FIG. 41) ordownwardly (indicated by arrow 1152 of FIG. 41). The support bracket1140 is mounted on a support structure 1120, which can be a verticalwall. The wall mount 1100 can include an actuator assembly 1200 operableto drive the display bracket 1142 to different positions. The displaybracket 1142 can be tilted at certain points along its path of travelafter it has been moved away from the support structure or wall. Thisallows the electronic display to be maintained at a suitable orientationwith respect to a viewer's line of sight. As the electronic display islowered, it can gradually tilt to remain at a suitable viewingorientation.

The linkage assembly 1130 can include a main member or upper link 1176(“upper link 1176”) and a lower link 1412. The upper link 1176 isrotatable about an upper axis of rotation 1180 defined by support pivots1190. The lower link 1412 is rotatable about a lower axis of rotation1182 defined by support pivot 1292 (FIG. 42). The axes of rotation 1180,1182 can lie in an imaginary plane which is substantially parallel tothe wall 1120. The display bracket 1142 can be rotatably coupled to theupper link 1176 by pivot 1177 (FIG. 41). The linkage assembly 1130 canhave other configurations, number of linkages, and other suitablecomponents (e.g., biasing mechanisms, counterbalances, etc.) thatprovide desired functionality.

Referring now to FIG. 42, an actuator assembly 1200 can include a linearactuator 1218, motor 1244 (FIG. 41), controller, processing units,combinations thereof, or the like. The linear actuator 128 can berotatably coupled to the support bracket 1140 and the display bracket1142. The motor 1244 (FIG. 41) can include one or more drive motors,stepper motors, or the like that are mounted on the linear actuator1218, the mounting bracket 1142, or another suitable component. In someembodiments, a controller comprising one or more processing units iscarried by the motor 1244. The configuration of components of theactuator assembly 1200 can be selected based on the desiredfunctionality and modes of operation.

With continued reference to FIG. 42, the wall mount 1100 can alsoinclude an actuator positioner 1220 and a bottom tilt mechanism 1290.The actuator positioner 1220 can be used to move an end 1260 of thelinear actuator 1218 relative to the linkage assembly 1130 to functionas a force adjusting mechanism for increasing or decreasing the amountof force needed to, for example, raise and/or lower the display bracket1142. This allows different electronic displays to be mounted on thedisplay bracket 1042. The user can select the appropriate position ofthe actuator assembly 1200 based on the desired amount of flexing ofcomponents, weight of the display, or the like.

FIGS. 43-48 show the wall mount 1100 at different positions. When thewall mount 1100 is at or near the stowed position of FIG. 43, thedisplay bracket 1142 can be moved away from the support bracket 1140.FIGS. 43 and 44 show the linkage assembly 1130 and display bracket 1142initially moving together with substantially no relative movementtherebetween. As shown in FIGS. 44-48, when the wall mount 1100continues to move downward, the cam mechanism 1300 (labelled in FIGS. 44and 45) causes rotation of the display bracket 1142 relative to linkageassembly 1130. Once the display bracket 1142 is at the desiredorientation, the cam mechanism 1300 allows further deployment of thewall mount 1100 without further relative rotation of the display bracket1142.

Referring again to FIG. 43, the raised wall mount 1100 can include astowed tilt mechanism 1270 operable to move the display bracket 1142, asindicated by arrow 1272, when the wall mount 1100 is at or near thestowed position. In some embodiments, the wall mount 1100 can remain atan over-center position while the stowed tilt mechanism 1270 adjusts theposition of the display bracket 1142. The bottom tilt mechanism 1290 canbe used to adjust the position of the lower pivot 1292. For example, auser can manually operate the bottom tilt mechanism 1290 to set theposition of the lower pivot 1292, so as to control or limit the amountof travel of the pivot 1292 along a slot 1410, as discussed inconnection with FIGS. 55-62A.

FIG. 44 shows the wall mount 1100 after it has been moved away from anover-center position. The lower pivot 1292 can move rearwardly(indicated by arrow 1293) to maintain an appropriate distance betweenpivot points. FIG. 45 shows the pivot 1292 after it has been movedrearwardly along the slot 1410.

With reference to FIGS. 44 and 45, in some embodiments, the displaybracket 1142 can angle downwardly as the wall mount 1100 is initiallymoved away from a wall. FIGS. 44 and 45 show the cam mechanism 1300causing the bottom of the display bracket 1142 to rotate away from thelower linkage 1412, as indicated by arrow 1302. FIG. 46 shows displaybracket 1142 after it has been tilted to a generally verticalorientation. FIGS. 46 to 48 show the display bracket 1142 at a generallyvertical orientation to hold the display or television 1320 (illustratedin phantom line in FIG. 46) generally parallel to the support surface1120 (FIG. 46).

Referring now to FIG. 45, the passive cam mechanism 1300 can include apassive tilt cam 1500 and a follower 1540 and has different states ofoperation, including a camming state (FIGS. 43 and 44), a non-camming orneutral camming state (FIG. 45), or other desired states. FIG. 46 showsthe passive camming mechanism 1300 operating to keep the display bracket1142 at a viewing orientation. The display bracket 1142 can be loweredwhile maintaining its orientation. The configuration of the cammechanism 1300 can be selected to provide the desired amount ofrotation/translation of the display bracket. Details of the componentsand operation of the passive cam mechanism 1300 are discussed inconnection with FIGS. 63-67A.

FIG. 49 is a front view of the wall mount 1100 in a raisedconfiguration, FIG. 50 is an isometric view of the wall mount 1100, andFIG. 51 is a detailed view of the actuator positioner 1220. The actuatorpositioner 1220 has a locked configuration for holding at least aportion of the end 1260 of the linear actuator 1218 stationary and anunlocked configuration for driving the end 1260 to another position. Theactuator positioner 1220 can be used to set the position of the linearactuator 1218 to accommodate televisions of different weights, adjustflexing of components of the wall mount 1100, or the like.

Referring now to FIG. 51, the actuator positioner 1220 can include acarriage 1330 movable along a predetermined path, carriage positioners1370, 1372 configured to move the carriage 1330, and carriage lockingfeatures 1340 a, 1340 b, 1340 c (collectively “fasteners 1340”)configured to lock the carriage 1330. The carriage locking features 1340can include bolts, nut and bolt assemblies, pins, or combinationsthereof and can extend through respective openings in fixed bracketmembers 1350 of the support bracket 1140.

FIG. 52 is an isometric view of the actuator positioner 1220 inaccordance with one embodiment. The carriage 1330 can include spacedapart plates 1351, 1352 and a pin 1360 extending between the plates1350, 1352. The pin 1360 can be rotatably coupled to the linear actuatorend 1260 to allow the linear actuator 1218 to rotate freely and caninclude, without limitation, a pivot, bearings, threaded ends, pins, orother features for connecting components.

FIGS. 53 and 54 show carriage positioners 1370, 1372 that threadablyengage internally threaded holes in a support member 1396. The carriagepositioners 1370, 1372 can be bolts, screws, threaded members, plungers,or combinations thereof. The number, position, or configuration of thecarriage positioners can be selected based on the selected number ofcontact points along the carriage.

Referring now to FIG. 53, the carriage positioners 1370, 1372 can berotated clockwise (indicated by arrows 1380, 1382) to push the carriage1330 upwardly. As the carriage positioners 1370, 1372 rotate, thefastener 1340 b moves upwardly along slot 1390 and the fastener 1340 cmoves upwardly along a slot 1392. FIG. 54 shows the carriage 1330 afterthe carriage 1330 has been moved upwardly and the fasteners 1340 b, 1340c are at the upper ends of the slots 1390, 1392, respectively.

FIG. 55 is a side view of the wall mount 1100 at a generally horizontalposition. FIGS. 56 and 57 are detailed views of the bottom tiltmechanism 1290 in different configurations. Referring now to FIG. 56,the bottom tilt mechanism 1290 can include an adjustment element 1400and an adjustment element positioner 1402. The adjustment element 1400can contact and push the pivot 1292 along the slot 1410 in the linkage1412. In some embodiments, the adjustment element 1400 has an angledcontact or bearing edge 1420. When the adjustment element 1400 is movedfrom the raised position (illustrated in FIG. 56) to the loweredposition (illustrated in FIG. 57), the bearing edge 1420 drives thepivot 1292 along the slot 1410. The pivot 1292 can be moved from arearward position shown in FIG. 56 to a forward position shown in FIG.57. The lowered adjustment element 1400 of FIG. 57 can limit orsubstantially prevent translation of the pivot 1292 along the slot 1410.

FIGS. 58 and 59 are isometric and front views, respectively, of thebottom tilt mechanism 1290. Referring now to FIG. 59, the adjustmentelement 1400 can include plates 1430, 1432 with edges 1420. Thepositioner 1402 can include an engagement element in the form of a discor plate 1460 that extends through slots in the plates 1430, 1432. Athreaded body 1458 of the adjustment element positioner 1402 can berotated to translate the plate 1460. As the disc 1460 translates, itmoves the plates 1430, 1432 upwardly or downwardly. The number,configuration, and position of the plates can be selected based ondesired actuation capability.

FIGS. 60 to 62A illustrate the wall mount 1100 in accordance with oneembodiment. FIGS. 60 and 60A show the pivot 1292 positioned generallymidway between ends 1461, 1462 of the slot 1410. As the wall mount 1100is lowered, the pivot 1292 moves along the slot 1410, as indicated byarrow 1480.

FIGS. 61 and 61A show the pivot 1292 located at the end 1461 (visible inFIG. 60A) of the slot 1410. As the wall mount 1100 continues to belowered, the pivot 1292 can be translationally fixed. When the wallmount 1100 is at the fully lowered position, the pivot 1292 can remaintranslation fixed at the end 1461 (visible in FIG. 60A) of the slot1410.

FIG. 63 is an isometric view of the display bracket 1142 in accordancewith one embodiment. The passive tilt cam 1500 (“cam 1500”) is securedto a main body 1510 and can include plates 1530, 1532 that aresubstantially geometrically congruent to one another.

FIGS. 64 to 67A illustrate the wall mount 1100 in accordance with oneembodiment. When the wall mount 1100 is at the fully raised position,the cam follower 1540 can be positioned generally along a first recessedsection or region 1544 (FIG. 64A) of the cam follower 1540, which can befixedly coupled to the link 1142. As the lower link 1412 rotates, thefollower 1540 and the pivot 1592 can be pushed apart from one anotherand the pivot 1592 moves along a slot 1590 in the lower link 1412. FIG.64A shows the pivot 1592 at an end 1591 of the slot 1590.

As the wall mount 1100 moves downwardly, the cam follower 1540 can movealong the edge 1572 of the tilt cam 1500, as indicated by arrow 1560. Asthe display bracket 1142 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, thepivot 1592 is pushed away from the follower 1540 by the cam 1500. Thisis because the distance between the pivot 1592 to the edge 1569gradually increases from a second section or region 1554 to a thirdsection or region 1572. As the follower 1540 and link 1412 are pushedaway from the pivot 1592, the pivot 1592 moves along a slot 1594.

With reference to FIG. 65A, the distance D2 is greater than D1. Thedifference between D2 and D1 corresponds to the amount of translation ofthe pivot 1570. Once the follower 1540 moves along the fourth section orregion 1576, the distance D2 remains generally constant to distance D3.Accordingly, the distance between the follower 1540 and the pivot 1592remains generally constant as the follower 1540 moves along the fourthregion 1576, as shown in FIGS. 67 and 67A.

FIG. 68 is a side view of the wall mount 1100 in the raised position inan accordance with one embodiment. FIGS. 68A and 68B are detailed viewsof the top tilt mechanism 1270 including a base 1600 and extendablemember 1610. FIG. 68A shows the member 1610 within the base 1600 suchthat the display bracket 1412 is at a generally vertical orientation.FIG. 68B shows the display bracket 1412 after it has been tilted by themember 1610 moving out of the base 1600. The member 1610 can have anexternally threaded body 1640 that threadably engages a threaded base inthe base 1600. The member 1610 can be extended to tilt the bracket 1142.In some embodiments, the member 1610 is a threaded bolt with a head 1630that bears against at least a portion of the linkage assembly 1130. Thebolt 1610 can be rotated in one direction (e.g., clockwise) to move themember 1610 into the base 1600 and rotated the other direction (e.g.,counterclockwise) to move it out of the base 1600. The distance themember 1610 extends out of the base 1600 can be increased or decreasedto increase or decrease tilt of the display bracket 1412. In otherembodiments, the base 1600 can be attached to the linkage assembly 1310,and the member 1610 can bear against the display bracket 1142. Othertilt mechanisms can be used to adjust the position of the displaybracket 1142 at the raised or stowed position.

FIG. 69 is a top view of a mounting system 2100 with a swivel mechanism2102. The mounting system 2100 can include a pivot 2104 about which adisplay bracket 2110 rotates relative to a linkage assembly 2112. A usercan manually rotate the bracket 2110 an angle X to position a display2114 (shown in phantom line). The angle X can be in the range of about 5degrees to 45 degrees, 10 degrees to 30 degrees, or other suitableranges. In other installations, the pivot 2104 can be positioned withinan opening 2018 of a swivel bracket 2109. This allows the displaybracket 2110 to rotate in the opposite direction.

FIG. 70 is a top view of a mounting system 2200 with a motorized swivelmechanism 2202. The motorized swivel mechanism 2202 can include a swivelactuator 2203 configured to drive a display bracket 2210 about an axisof rotation defined by the pivot 2204. The swivel actuator 2203 caninclude, without limitation, one or more motors, solenoids, orcombinations thereof and can be connected to a linkage assembly 2221 viaone or more connectors, such as rods, chains, and/or belts. In otherembodiments, the swivel actuator 2203 can be mounted on the linkageassembly 2221 and connected to the display bracket 2210 via one or moreconnectors.

FIG. 71 is a side view of a mounting system in accordance with oneembodiment. The mounting system is in form of wall mount 2300, that caninclude a wall support 2302, a linkage assembly 2304, and displaybracket 2306. The linkage assembly 2304 can include a plurality ofactuators 2310, 2312 that cooperate to provide relative motion betweenthe brackets 2302, 2306. The actuator 2310 extends from and is pivotallycoupled to a carriage assembly 2320 and an upper pivot 2030. The loweractuator 2312 extends between a lower pivot 2340 held by the supportbracket 2302 and a pivot 2342, which is coupled to a member 2350 of thedisplay bracket 2306. The actuators 2310, 2312 can extend or contract toraise, lower, tilt, or otherwise move the display bracket 2306. Forexample, the actuator 2312 can adjust its length to tilt the displaybracket 2306 without raising/lowering the display bracket 2306. Othermounting systems disclosed herein can include multiple actuators toprovide desired functionality.

FIG. 72 is a side view of a mounting system 3000 in accordance withanother embodiment. FIG. 72A is a detailed view of a portion of themounting system of FIG. 72. The relevant description of the mountingsystem 1100 discussed in connection with FIGS. 41-68B applies to themounting system 3000, except as indicated otherwise. The mounting system3000 includes a switch assembly 3010 (FIG. 72A) configured to controloperation of the mounting system. The switch assembly 3010 can bemounted on a display bracket or other suitable component and can controldriving provided by the motorized actuator when the mounting system 3000near to or at the top position. This provides repeatable operationindependent of the weight of the display being carried.

Referring to FIG. 72A, the switch assembly 3010 can include anactuatable plunger 3020 and a main body or switch 3030. An adjustableswitch point 3040 movable away from or toward the plunger 3020. A switchpoint element 3060 can be a locknut or another suitable elementrotatably to move a bolt 3070, as indicated by arrows 3072, 3074. Theswitch point element 3060 is carried by the linkage assembly or anothercomponent. The bolt 3070 can be extended or retracted to adjust thelocation of the fully raised position.

FIG. 73 is a side view of the mounting system 3000 in a fully raisedconfiguration. FIG. 73A is a detailed view of the mounting system 300with the plunger 3020 in a depressed position. A motorized actuator canraise the linkage assembly until the plunger 3020 is depressed a desiredamount. The number, configuration, and functionality of the switches canbe selected based on the desired operation of the mounting system 3000.For example, the switches can be contact switches, proximity switches,or the like.

Various methods and techniques described above provide a number of waysto carry out the invention. Of course, it is to be understood that notnecessarily all objectives or advantages described may be achieved inaccordance with any particular embodiment described herein and maydepend on the use of the mounting systems. Thus, for example, thoseskilled in the art will recognize that the methods may be performed in amanner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantagesas taught herein without necessarily achieving other objectives oradvantages as may be taught or suggested herein. Furthermore, theskilled artisan will recognize the interchangeability of variousfeatures from different embodiments disclosed herein and disclosed inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/563,842; U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/913,195; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/229,780;U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/118,297; and U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/396,850. For example, cam mechanisms, tiltingfeatures, panning features, counterbalancing features, controllers,motors, etc. can be incorporated into linkage assemblies, supportbrackets, display brackets, or the like. All of these applications areincorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Similarly, thevarious features and acts discussed above, as well as other knownequivalents for each such feature or act, can be mixed and matched byone of ordinary skill in this art to perform methods in accordance withprinciples described herein.

Although the invention has been disclosed in the context of certainembodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in theart that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosedembodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and obviousmodifications and equivalents thereof. Accordingly, it is not intendedthat the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A collapsible television mounting system for moving a television between a raised position and a lowered position, the television mounting system comprising: a support bracket configured to couple to a wall; a display bracket configured to hold a television; a collapsible linkage assembly pivotally coupled to the support bracket and movable between a raised configuration for holding the television at a raised position and a lowered configuration to hold the display bracket at a lowered position, the linkage assembly includes an upper arm rotatable about an upper axis of rotation to move relative to the support bracket, and a lower arm rotatable about a lower axis of rotation to move relative to the support bracket; an actuator holder including a pair of spaced apart plates coupled to the support bracket, a pin extending between the pair of the spaced apart plates and positioned generally between the lower axis of rotation than the upper axis of rotation; and a motorized actuator assembly having a first end coupled to the pin and a second end rotatably coupled to the linkage, wherein the motorized actuator assembly is configured to extend to move the linkage assembly from the lowered configuration to the raised configuration, wherein at least a portion of the motorized actuator assembly extends outwardly past the lower arm in a direction toward the display bracket when the linkage assembly moves toward the raised configuration to collapse the television mounting system.
 2. The television mounting system of claim 1, wherein the lower arm includes a pair of spaced apart links.
 3. The television mounting system of claim 1, wherein the lower arm includes a plurality of openings spaced apart along a longitudinal length of the lower arm.
 4. The television mounting system of claim 1, wherein the motorized actuator assembly includes a motor and an extendable member.
 5. The television mounting system of claim 1, wherein the television mounting system includes a programmable control device configured to store user-set positions for avoiding contact with one or more objects, wherein the motorized actuator assembly is controllable via a wireless controller.
 6. The television mounting system of claim 1, further including: a wireless controller configured to control operation of the motorized actuator assembly and to program the television mounting system with user-set position settings.
 7. The television mounting system of claim 1, further including memory configured to store user-set position settings.
 8. The television mounting system of claim 1, further comprising a control system programmed to control operation of the motorized actuator assembly such that the television mounting system avoids striking a mantelshelf positioned below the support bracket.
 9. A television mounting system for raising and lowering a television, the television mounting system comprising: a support bracket; a display bracket; a linkage assembly pivotally coupled to the support bracket and movable to raise and lower the display bracket; a motorized actuator assembly operable to cause movement of the display bracket, wherein at least a portion of the motorized actuator assembly extends outwardly past the linkage assembly and toward the display bracket when the linkage assembly moves toward a raised configuration; and a programmable control system in communication with the motorized actuator assembly and including one or more processors and memory, wherein the memory stores at least one user-set position setting and programming to cause the motorized actuator assembly to move the television to the at least one user-set position setting.
 10. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the control system includes a control device connected to the motorized actuator assembly via a wired or wireless connection, and a remote control configured to wirelessly communicate with the control device.
 11. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the programmable control system is configured to communicate with a voice-controlled loT hub.
 12. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the programmable control system includes one or more buttons for inputting the at least one user-set position setting.
 13. A television mounting system for raising and lowering a television, the television mounting system comprising: a support bracket; a display bracket; a linkage assembly pivotally coupled to the support bracket and movable to raise and lower the display bracket; a motorized actuator assembly coupled to a linkage assembly, wherein at least a portion of the motorized actuator assembly extends outwardly past the linkage assembly in a direction toward the display bracket when the linkage assembly moves toward a raised collapsed configuration; and a programmable control system in communication with the motorized actuator assembly and including one or more processors and memory, wherein the memory stores at least one user-set position setting and programming to cause the motorized actuator assembly to move the television to the at least one user-set position setting.
 14. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the at least one user-set position setting includes a stowed setting for viewing the television at a raised television position and a lowered setting for viewing the television at a lowered television position.
 15. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the memory stores the at least one user-set position setting provided via a controller.
 16. The television mounting system of claim 9, further including: a wireless controller configured to control operation of the motorized actuator assembly and to program a control device to store position settings for the television.
 17. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the programmable control system is programmed to receive one or more signals from a controller, and control the motorized actuator assembly to move the linkage assembly based on the received one or more signals.
 18. The television mounting system of claim 9, further comprising one or more microphones configured to receive voice commands.
 19. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the programmable control system is configured to automatically move the display bracket to one of the user-set position settings based on received user input.
 20. The television mounting system of claim 9, wherein the programmable control system includes a wireless receiver in communication with the memory and the one or more processors.
 21. A television mounting system for raising and lowering a television, the television mounting system comprising: a support bracket; a display bracket; an arm assembly pivotally coupled to the support bracket and movable between a first configuration for holding the television at a first position and a second configuration for holding the display bracket at a second position different from the first position; a motorized actuator assembly that moves outwardly past the arm assembly in a direction away from the support bracket while the display bracket moves to a raised position; and a control system configured be programmed by a user and including one or more processors, and memory configured to store user-set positions and programming executable by the one or more processors to cause the motorized actuator assembly to operate to move the display bracket to one of the user-set positions.
 22. The television mounting system of claim 21, wherein the user-set positions include a stowed setting and a lowered setting.
 23. The television mounting system of claim 21, wherein the control system is programmable to cause the display bracket to be automatically moved to the one of the user-set positions in response to input from the user.
 24. The television mounting system of claim 21, wherein the control system is programmable to avoid contact with one or more objects within a range of motion of the television mounting system.
 25. The television mounting system of claim 21, wherein the arm assembly and the support bracket form a four-bar linkage or a five-bar linkage.
 26. The television mounting system of claim 21, wherein the control system includes a control device connected to the motorized actuator assembly via a wired connection.
 27. The television mounting system of claim 21, wherein the motorized actuator assembly is pivotally coupled to the arm assembly. 